Como, Ancient city in Lombardy, Italy
Como is a city in the Province of Como, Lombardy, located on the southwestern shore of Lake Como. The historic center is enclosed by medieval walls and contains churches, squares, and narrow lanes that extend down to the waterfront.
The settlement was founded in 196 BC by Julius Caesar as Novum Comum and quickly grew into a trading center on the route between Germany and Italy. During the Middle Ages, it gained importance through wool trade and remained an economic center of the region for centuries.
The city takes its name from the Latin word Comum and has served for centuries as a gateway to the Lombard Alps. Residents and visitors use the waterfront daily for walks, while the narrow streets of the old center are filled with shops and restaurants offering locally produced silk goods.
The waterfront and old town can be explored on foot, while boat connections provide access to surrounding lakeside towns. Most points of interest lie within a radius of roughly 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from Piazza Cavour and are easily reachable.
Alessandro Volta, the inventor of the electrical battery, was born here in 1745 and spent most of his life in the city. A neoclassical monument dedicated to the scientist on the waterfront preserves his original instruments and research notes.
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